Elevated railway system



June 21, 1932. F R. SHERIDAN 1,864,323 ELEVATED RAILWAY S YSTEM FiledOct. 20, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 mo'zzzwmwsbw ATTORNEY June 21, 1932.SHERIDAN 4 1,864,323

ELEVATED RAILWAY SYS TEM Filed Oct. 20, 1.930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 fl /3' f/2 7395. l l I INVE NTOR 7 m flZZerZt/KRSZ 0226272 /7 Y ATTORNEYS Jun21, 1932.

F. R. SHERIDAN ELEVATED RAILWAY SYSTEM Filed Oct. 20, 1950 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Iii 1 IISIUlISI! INVENTOR ed'erzr/Wi 536/7147;

ATTORN EYS June 1932- F. R. SHERIDAN 1,364,323

' v ELEVATED RAILWAY SYSTEM Filed Oct. 20, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I i E IE a Q I. 7/

85 IIII Y Y Ill 5 A a f; ew 7 7 f4 INVENTOR I racZerlc K52 ri'zian 40 B94-min NM ATTORN EY/ June21, 1932. F. R. SHERiDA 1* 864,323

ELEVATED RAILWAY SYS TEM Filed oct 20, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 un In muPatented June 21, 1932 IYIEEDERIGK R. SHERIDAN, QF f DETROIT, TMICHIGANELEVATED RAILWAY 'SYSTEM Application .filed October .20, 1930. .SerialNo. 490,020.

The invention relates to elevated railway systems and more particularlyto the type wherethe car issuspended from an-overhead rail or equivalentstructure.

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide afrailwaysystemcapable of obtaining high .speed which can 'be constructed at relativelylow cost. .To this end I have deViser'hmeans for increasing thetractlive force between driving wheels and the running .rails withoutincreasing the weight of the vehicle, thereby permitting for .the firsttime the construction ofa veryllight weight car which cauhe 'driyenbyafriction wheel drive at highspeeds without loss oftraction. By reducingthe weightot the .car lamenabled (to reduce the cost of:buildingasuperstructure having the necessary strength :and rigidity forinsuring safe travel.

Another object of the invention is to .pro vide .a supporting system forsuspending an elevated car comprising two parallel Tails designed .tocarry respectively downwardly acting and upward-1y acting stressesiandan ecccntrically leaded car suspended from one rail and stabilized bythe other.

Another object of the invention is :to provide a .novel .designo'frunning gear for-a car supported from above, which 5 gear has manyfeatures of construction producing-new and unexpected results.

These and other objects have been attained in the .eleyated rail-waysystem hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated :in theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure l :is :a side elevation or" anelevated railway superstructure;

FigurerQ is :a top plan "View thereof;

Figure 31is a cross .section'thereoii;

.Figurekis anenlarged:crosssectional .view of the T031 and the overheadrunning gear thereofataken onxth'e line 'il-lsof Figure 5;

Figure '5 is :a longitudinal sectional view ot'th'e running gear;

Figure -6 is a sectional plan "view of the running gear;

Figure :7 is :a :cross section on the line 77 of Figure 5;

Figure'S is a longitudinal sectional "View of :a modified "running gear;

Figure 9 is a sectional plan view thereof taken on line9-19 of FigureF8.

FigurelO is a cross section on the line '10 10 of Figure B;

'Figu're lliis a cross section onthe.lin'e1'l- 11 of Figure 8;

Figure12is alongitudina-l sectional View of another modified runninggear;

Figure 1-3 is a plan "View't'hereof taken on line 13-1.3 of Figure 12Figure 14 is a cross section on the line l414 of Figure 1 2.

The superstructure'for'mylevatedrailway system may of coursebe-constructed in various ways but as illustrated in Figure 1, I providea series of towers 10 at intervals throughout the Tightpf-Way. Fromthese towers is suspended the rail structure 1'1 which in a double tracksystem consists of tour longitudinal members suitably crossbraced to,form a rigid truss in a horizontal Plane. The two out-side members 12and 1 3 I are designated the running rails and the two intermediatelongitudinal members "14 :and 15 are designated as stabilizing rails.The 7 truss'i-ng'members:comprise the perpendicular cross members 16 andthe diagonal'brac'ing members 17 and 18. The towers 10smay pre' ferablybe of "arch-s'hape'as'shown Figure 2'3 with supporting legs 19 and 20 onopposite sides of the running "rails. The towers have the main crossmembers '21 *for directly supporting the rail-structure 11 "and such:other cross bracing members "as are necessary to provide strength andrigidity to'the structure. The rail structure intermediate the towers'lOis carried by the tensionmenibers-QQ which extend from the towers :tovarious points on the rail structure intermediate thesame. In ordertodampen anyvertical'movementioiithe mil structure "it is tied to pointson the towers below the rails by tension members 23 which may if desiredbe equippedwith'sp-rin'g washers (not shown) that put a substantial-1yconstanttension inthe members supporting the rail structure inaddition to that produced bythe dead load o'f therails themselves.This-arrangement also dampen-s vibrationin the supporting members.

At periodic=intervalsthrou'ghout the ri'ghtof-way, say about twelvehundred feet, a special anchor tower 24 is provided, the function ofwhich is to take up all horizontal stresses in the system. The tops ofthe anchor tower 24 are interconnected with the tops of the intermediatetowers by horizontal tension members 25. The stabilizing rails 14 and 15are preferably welded end-to-end to form a continuous member betweenanchor towers and are insulated against temperature changes and wheretemperature change is very great (in latitudes where temperature reaches15 below zero) the stabilizing rails can be heated to cut downtemperature stresses. The stabilizing rails transmit horizontal stressesset up in the structure by the starting and the stopping of the cars tothe anchor towers since the stabilizing railsare interconnected with therunning rails 12 and 13 by the trussing members in the rail structurehereinbefore referred to. The running rails 12 and 13 are preferablyspliced at each tower with suitable. connections permitting theexpansion and contraction of the rails with temperature changes.

The structure as above described is given as a representative example ofa superstructure for supporting the railway cars now to be described.The car is represented generally by the reference character A and maypreferably be supported by two overhead trucks B and C. These trucks areprovided with the supporting wheels 27 and 28 which are arranged toengage the rails 53 supported by lower flange 29 of the running rail 12on opposite sides of the vertical web 30 of said running rail. Therunning rail is preferably in the form of an I-bea-m, the top flange 31being supported by the rail structure hereinbefore described. The car Ais suspended from each truck by a universal joint connection 32 which islaterally offsetwith respect to the center of gravity of the car A sothat the car is eccent-rically loaded. Thus as shown in Figure 4; thecenter of gravity is represented as the point G and the weight of thecar is represented by the vertical arrow TV. The center of gravity isspaced from the vertical line running through the universal oint 32 by adistance (Z. It is therefore apparent that the car due to the eccentricloading has a turning moment mathematically expressed by Id.

In order to counteract the turning moment the transverse member 33 atthe upper end of the car A (which is supported by the universal joint32) is provided with a lateral extension designated as a stabilizing arm34. This arm carries at its outer end a wheel 35 bearing against thelower surface of the stabilizing rail 14. This construction thereforeproduces the counter-reaction for preventing the turning of the car Aabout its universal support 32 but it will be noted that thecounter-stress set up in the stabilizing rail is vertical and upwardlyacting while the stress on the running rail 12 is vertical anddownwardly acting. Therefore the stresses due to the weight of the car,although the same is eccentrically supported, are borne entirely by tworail members and the stresses set up in these members are entirelyvertical. By reason of this construction it is possible to design thesuperstructure for the system in a simple manner to adequately care forthese principal stresses which are vertical.

By reason of the eccentric loading of the car A, the swaying of the carwhen traveling at high speed is largely eliminated because there isalways a tendency for the car to turn toward the stabilizing rail whichis resisted by the rigidity of said stabilizing rail.

As set forth above, the car is supported by the trucks B and C and thesupporting wheels 27 and 28 engage the rails 53-supported by the topside of the lower flange 29 of the running rail 12. For driving the carI preferably provide a driving wheel 36 which engages the lower face 37of the running rail. Means is provided for varying the pressure betweenthe driving wheel 36 and the supporting or idling wheels 27 and 28 inorder that these wheels may clamp the rails 53 and the lower flange 29of the running rail between the same with any desired force. Byincreasing this force the friction between the driving wheel and therunning rail may be increased to any desired amount and consequently thetractive force may be increased to the necessary amount to drive the carat whatever high speed is found desirable. The

means for increasing the tension between the driving wheels and theidling wheels preferably involves the use of resilient pressure and maybe generated by various mechanical expedients, some of which arehereinafter more fully set forth. The driving wheel 36 is preferablydriven by an electric motor 38 within the car which is connected to thewheel by any suitable form of gearing. It should also be understood thatif desired one or more of the wheels 27 and 28 may be made the drivingwheels and the wheel 36 may be an idling wheel, the only function ofwhich is to increase the pressure between the driving wheel and therunning rail.

In Figures 1- to 7 T have illustrated in m'ore detail one method forsupporting the car from a wheeled truck arranged to provide the featureshereinbefore mentioned in a practical manner. The car A has two mainchannel members 40 extending longitudinally at the top of the car andforming the supporting members from which the car structure properdepends. 12 is a cross member connected to the main channels and havingat a point laterally offset with respect to the midplane of the car asocket 4:3 constructed to receive a ball 44, the two together forming auniversal joint. The ball 44 is connected to a yoke frame 45 by a rod46. This yoke frame 45 extends upwardly on opposite sides of the runningrail 12 and. has two longitudinally extending top frame members 48'represents enerally a runnin 'eartruck D E C frame member in l which theyo e frame 45 is carried,.there eingsuitable resilient connectionsintermediate the two! parts as here inaf-termore fitlly set forth.

Th'erunning gear'truck framei48 comprises: two longitudinal.- sills 49.Each of'sa'idsills ghas two inwardlyprojectingstub shafts 51 and on.each stub shaftis a running wheel. 52- arrangedito runion tracks 53supported on the lowerflange' of the runningrail 12. Prefer ably thislower flange has two tracks 53 extending upwardly'therefromand formingthe actual surface for engaging the running wheels. For 'supportingtheyoke frame 45 on the running gear truck frame 48' I preferably arrange aseries of coil'springs and as shown there are three coil; springs 55arranged on each side'ofthe running rail 12 and? insubstantialilongitudin al alignment with the runningwheels52i There arealso the four additionalsprings 56 arrangedon each side, two of thesevsprings being opposite each running wheel oneacli side but arranged in avertical plane which is closer to the outside of the truck structurethan the first mentionedsprings 55.v The sills 49 are permitted tomovevertically with respect to the yokefr'ame 45' but are restrainedfrom turning byreason otthe guides 57 which engage grooves 58 in theyokev frame 45; The sill members 49 are restrained from movinglongitudinally with respect tothe yoke frame 45 by reason of the severallinks 59 which are arranged between these members at'points adjacent tothe eral stubshafts 51. The coil springs'55 are preferably'made stifferthan the springs 56 andfcarry about five-sevenths ofthe'total'load onthe yoke frame 45 aslthe horizontal distance'from the center ofi'thesesprings is equal tothe' horizontal distance of the center of pressureorrt'he wheels52 from the guides 57, All of the springs, however,counteract the turning moment between the yoke frame and the truck frameso that theresulting turning moment at the-guides'57 issmall and justsufficient to keep said guides pressed. against grooves 58* in onedirection.

The driving mechanism comprisesan' electric motor 38' located within thecar from which. an upwardly extending shaft 59 side of the lower surfaceof the rail to conductthe water below the driving surface; It shouldalso be noted that the lower surface of the running rail may beroughened if desired to increase the tractive force.

The wheel 36 is supported on a shaft 6-3 extending betweenthelongitudinal frame members 40- and is mounted in suitable bearing boxes64' which in turn are adj ustably carried by said framemembers. In theconstruction illustrated, I have employed adjustable spring supports formounting said bearing boxes and as shown there are leaf springs 65secured at their mid points to the bearing boxes and having shackles 66and 67 at the opposite ends thereof. The shackle 66 is pivotallyconnected to one of the frame members, while the opposite shackle 67 isconnected to an adjusting member 68. This member 68 may be manuallyadjusted by means of the threaded connection 69 thereby drawing theshackle 67 upwardly with respect to the frame and increasing theresilient pressure of the springs 65 upon the wheel 36.

In order to provide for lateral pressures on the running rail the wheels52 above mentioned are preferably flanged and as shown in Figure 7 theadjacent wheels on each side of the web of the running rail are flangedoppositely with the flanges 70 respectively on the outside of the twotracks 53. The wheels are preferably so mounted to provide clear ancebetween the wheel flanges and the tracks, t'hereby'permitting apredetermined amount oflateral movement on the tracks. For example, itmay be desirable to have the wheels mounted to permit approximatelythreefourths of an inch travel in a horizontal plane before the wheelflange engages the track. In addition to the flanges for taking uplateral stresses I preferably provide the truck with a series of guidingwheels adapted to engage the web of the running rail with resilientpressure. As shown there are two sets of guiding wheels, one at each endof the truck, the wheels being designated by the numeral 71. Each wheelis carried by a vertical shaft extending between a sill 49 and alongitudinal. frame member 47. The bearing boxes 76 at the opposite endsof each shaft are slidably arranged in guideways 78 in the respectivesupporting members, thus permitting vertical movement of said shafts andalso a transverse movement toward and awayfrom the web of the runningrail. For holding the wheels in contact with the running rail, springmeans is employed such as the leaf springs 7 9 which are rigidlysupported at one end. At'the other end the springs engage pins 80 whichextend through the frame members and inturn" engage the bearing boxes76. Thus I have providedresilient guiding wheels for resisting thelateral movement of the truck wheels with. respect to the running railand the arrangement is such that the yielding movement of the guidingwheels will permit suflicient side play so that the flanges of therunning wheels will engage the tracks only after the springs 79 haveexerted their full efiort to maintain the wheels in a central position.

The detailed description of the trucks is given by way of example toshow one embodiment of my invention, but it is to be understood thatthere are many other mechanical forms which may be used in lieu thereof.For example, instead of using a me chanical device for resilientlyholding the driving wheel 36 in engagement with the underside of therunning rail, I may use a hydraulic or pneumatic pressure device. Itwill also be understood that other specific features of construction maybe changed by carrying out the underlying inventive ideas hereinabovepointed out.

In Figures 8 to 11 inclusive I have illustrated another construction ofrunning gear. In this construction the running wheels 52 are carried ina truck frame 82 having the upper and lower sill members 83 and 84rigidly connected together. The truck frame also has the dependingvertical frame members 85 which are connected to a lower platform 86.This platform is cent-rally apertured to receive a turn-table 87. Asshown, the turntable 87 has upper and lower cylindrical flanges 88 and89 which respectively engage the bearing surfaces on opposite sides ofthe inwardly projecting flange 90 of the platform 86. 92 is the crossarm which is secured to the turn-table 87 and carries the stabilizingwheel 35. The arm 92 supports the two car channel members 40 through thetwo springs 93 adjacent the respective channel members. The springs 93have the central portions secured to the arm 92 and the outer endssecured to the frame by the links 94 and 95 respectively. 96 is adriving axle for support ing the driving wheel 97, this axle beingmounted in bearing boxes 98 which in turn are connected to the channelmembers 40 by compression chambers 99. The drive shaft 96 is connectedto the truck 82 by a series of links 100, there being ball and socketjoints 101 at each end of said links. The truck frame 82, drive axle 96and links form a parallelogram which maintains the driving wheel 97 inproper relation to the running wheels. These links keep the shaft 96parallel to the transverse axis of the truck and this is important foruse on trucks with curves of small radius.

The bearing boxes 98 slide on cover plates 1.02 equipped with grooves103 for guiding said bearing boxes so that the drive shaft 96 rotates ina horizontal plane about the center of the driving wheel 97 and keepsparallel to the transverse axis of the truck when the latter followscurves in the track. The cover plate 102 may move vertically upon guiderods 105 which keep the surface of the cover plates in a plane at rightangles to the rods 105. The wheel 97 is pressed against the underside ofthe running rail by the compression chambers 99. These chambers arecon-- nected to a tank in the car and pressure can be increased ordiminished while the car is in motion and also by the pressure due tosprings 106 abutting the truck frame 82 and con the lever is an axle 114which in turn carries the leaf springs 115. The springs are secured tothe car channel members 40 by spring connect-ions 116 at opposite endsthereof. The

lever 113 can rotate about the axle 114 in a vertical plane. The otherend of the lever 113 carries a transverse shaft 117 running in bearingsand having bearing boxes 118 at opposite ends thereof. The bearing boxesare connected to the channel members 40 by suitable springs 119 whichtend'to dampen vertical movement of the car frame. This shaft carriesthe driving wheel 122. Since the weight of the car is transmitted to thelever 113 through the shaft 114 arranged eccentrically with respect tothe ball and socket joint, it follows that the weight of the car must becounteracted by a reaction of the driving wheel 122 against the runningrail. By varying the lever arms between the ball and socket joint andthe respective shafts 114 and 117 the pressure between the driving wheeland the running rail may be varied to any desired portion of the weightof the vehicle. If the lever arm between the driving wheel and the balland socket joint were made shorter than the lever arm between the axle114 and the ball and socket oint, the driving wheel would be pressedagainst the underside of the running rail with a pressure greater thanthe weight of that portion of the car supported by the axle 114. Theaction of the stabilizing arm 120 and wheel 121 is the same as in thetrucks previously described.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a railway, an overhead supporting structure, a running raildepending therefrom, a wheel engaging said rail, a vehicle below saidwheel and supported thereby, said vehicle having the center of gravitythereof laterally offset from said wheel and means normally exerting avertical force only for s abilizing said vehicle and counterbalancingthe moment due to said offset center of gravity.

2. In a railway, an overhead supporting structure, a running raildepending there- 1 from, a wheel engaging said rail, a vehicle belowsaid wheel and supported thereby, said vehicle having the center ofgravity thereof laterally offset from said wheel, a stabilizing railsupported by said overhead structure and extending parallel to saidrunning rail and a wheel carried by said vehicle on the opposite side ofthe first mentioned wheel from the center of gravity of said vehicle.

3. In a railway, an overhead supporting structure, a running raildepending therefrom, a wheel engaging said rail, a vehicle below saidwheel and supported thereby, said vehicle having its center of gravitylaterally offset with respect to said wheel, and means normally exertinga vertical force only for stabilizing said vehicle and counterbalancingthe moment due to said otiset center of gravity.

4. In a railway, an overhead supporting structure, a running railmounted thereon, movable trucks operating on said rail, supportingwheels on said trucks, a. car below said wheeled trucks and supportedthereby, flexible joints between said trucks and said car, a laterallyextending arm on said car, a stabilizing wheel on said arm acting onsaid structure in a substantially upward direction, driving wheelsconnected to said car on the opposite side of said flexible joints fromsaid trucks, and means for resilently pressing said driving wheelsupwardly against said running rail.

5. In a railway, an overhead supporting structure, a running railmounted thereon, movable trucks operating on said rail, supportingwheels on said trucks, a car below said wheeled trucks and supportedthereby,

guiding wheels on said trucks mounted transversely of said supportingWheels on opposite sides of said rail, means for resiliently pressingsaid guiding wheels towards said rail, flexible joints between saidtrucks and said car, a laterally extending arm on said car, astabilizing wheel on said arm acting on said structure in asubstantially upward direction, driving wheels connected to said car onthe opposite side of said flexible joints from said trucks, and meansfor resiliently pressing said driving wheels upwardly against saidrunning rail.

6. In a railway, an overhead supporting structure, a running railmounted thereon, two sets of trucks operating on said rail, an armextending at right angles to the midvertical plane of each set oftrucks, a flexible joint connecting each arm to one of said trucks, acar having the opposite ends thereof supported by said arms, said carhaving its center of gravity placed to one side of the vertical planethrough the centers of said flexible joints, stabilizing wheels on saidarms on the opposite side of said plane from the center of gravity ofsaid car, a rail carried by said structure for engaging said stabilizingwheels whereby the weight of the car due to the eccentricity of thecenter of gravity thereof and said flexible joints will cause saidstabilizing wheels to be pressed against said last mentioned rail.

7. An elevated railroad comprising a running rail supporting two tracks,a stabilizing rail, a pair of trucks operating on said tracks andagainst said running rail and stabilizing rail, said trucks consistingof four systems of wheels with connecting members, each system of wheelsacting against the systems of tracks and rails in a direction at 90degrees to each other with resilient pressure, a car suspended from saidtrucks in such a manner that its center of 'ravity is off center fromthe supporting w eels causing the two systems of wheels in the verticalplanes to act in opposite direction to each other against theirrespective supporting member.

8. An elevated railroad comprising a running rail supporting two tracks,a stabilizing rail, a pair of trucks operating on said tracks andagainst said running rail and stabilizing rail, said trucks consistingof four systems of wheels with connecting members, each system of wheelsacting against the systems of tracks and rails in a direction of 90degrees to each other with resilientpressure,a car suspended from saidtrucks in such a manner that its center of gravity is off center fromthe supporting wheels causing the two systems of wheels in the verticalplanes to act in opposite direction to each other against theirrespective supporting member, a driving wheel mounted on the top of saidcar and pressed against the under side of the said running rail, apressure chamber under the ends of the shaft of the driving wheel, meansfor changing the pressure oi the driving wheel against the running railby changing the pressure in the pressure chamber while the car is inmotion, and two connecting links between the shaft of said driving wheeland said truck which maintains the shaft of the driving wheel parallelto the transverse axis of the trucks.

9. An elevated railroad comprising a running rail, a stabilizing rail, apair of trucks operating on and against said running rail andstabilizing rail, said trucks consisting of four systems of wheels withconnecting members, each system of wheels acting against theirrespective supporting members in a direction at 90 degrees to the other,a driving wheel attached to said truck, a car suspended from said truckin such a manner that its center of gravity is to one side and behindthe supporting wheels, causing the driving wheel to be pressed againstthe under side of the running rail and the stabilizing wheel to bepressed against the under side of the stabilizing rail.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FREDERICK R. SHERIDAN.

